The Oregon Ducks announced this morning that they have hired a new athletic director who will be introduced at a news conference at 11 a.m. today at the Casanova Center in Eugene.

The Oregonian's John Canzano has confirmed that the Ducks have hired Rob Mullens, deputy athletic director at the University of Kentucky. KXTG (95.5 The Game) first reported Mullens as the Ducks' choice.

Mullens, 40, has been at Kentucky since 2002, most recently helping oversee the Wildcats basketball and football programs. He has a financial background, but has no prior experience as an athletic director.

Mullens had been a finalist for athletic director jobs at LSU, Maryland and Miami.

“Rob Mullens brings a deep reservoir of experience to the University of Oregon,” Oregon President Richard Lariviere said in a statement. “He has played key roles in managing large and complex organizations at the University of Kentucky and the University of Maryland, and those universities have flourished as a result. His management and financial expertise will be invaluable to the UO as our athletics department continues to thrive and secures its place as one of the preeminent programs in the nation.”

Mullens will take the place of interim athletic director Lorraine Davis, who has served since March when Mike Bellotti resigned to take a position with ESPN.

As deputy director of athletics, Mullens managed day-to-day operations of Kentucky’s 22-sport athletics department, with an annual operating budget of $79 million. His background is in accounting and auditing.

Prior to being named deputy director of athletics at Kentucky, Mullens served as the university’s executive associate director of athletics from 2002 to 2006. He served at the University of Maryland from 1996 to 2002, starting as assistant director of athletics for business and ultimately as executive senior associate director of athletics and chief of staff. He was senior athletics business manager at the University of Miami (Fla.) from 1994 to 1996, and prior to that he was an accountant/auditor at Ernst & Young in Raleigh, N.C.

“Much will be expected of Rob Mullens as the university’s new athletics director, and based on his track record I am confident that he will be very successful at the University of Oregon,” Lariviere said. “Rob has been asked to develop a clear vision to maintain and advance the UO’s competitive advantages in fundraising, facilities development and recruitment and retention of student-athletes and staff. He will insure that the athletics department remains financially self-sufficient, while at the same time promoting an environment that helps each student athlete to succeed in the classroom as well as the field of competition.

“This is a period of important growth and change for the athletics department. A new basketball arena will open within a year and additional improvements are on the way for other athletics facilities. It will be Rob’s role to not only oversee and promote future advances for the department, but to nurture the individual programs that will fill those outstanding venues.”

Mullens' hiring continues a recent tradition of Oregon-Kentucky ties. Wildcats athletic director Mitch Barnhart previously held the same post at Oregon State, and former Kentucky football coach Rich Brooks also coached the Ducks for 18 seasons.

Mullens went to school at West Virginia University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s degree in sport management. He and his wife, Jane, have two sons.